I Don't Know Where I'm Going
by OncerSwarekJateGrantGscout22
Summary: The curse has been broken but he still feels like that little boy who was left with a baby in a land without magic. He feels like a traitor and how could she ever love someone that had brought her so much pain.
1. Chapter 1

**I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING**

**The curse has been broken but he still feels like that little boy who was left with a baby in a land without magic. He feels like a traitor and how could she ever love someone that had brought her so much pain.**

A/N: POST 1X22. ENJOY!

Emma is just sitting there. Drinking hot chocolate with crazy amounts of cinnamon as she smiles down at her son. The curse is broken and he had his chance to tell her how he felt when she came to find him back at Granny's when he was turned into someone real. She has now found all she has ever wanted. Her mother. Her father and Henry are all there for her and even if he wanted to he couldn't dare to tell her that his heart beats faster when she is near. He doesn't deserve it. He had left her in that foster home and hadn't even bothered to maybe look for her after that. Instead he became a traveler. Someone without a home and just destined to be alone.

"August?" He hears someone say. It's Henry who despite of all the madness around him has been the only one staying truthful to whom he is. He really cares about that kid and just to see him be happy it's enough for him "You okay? You want to come and sit with us?" he looks over his shoulder as Emma, Snow and James all sit in silence, clearly they feel strange being left alone since their only salvation for being in total awkwardness is a ten year old boy, nevertheless, they seem happy, even if the war hasn't even started.

"Nah" He says confidently "You go ahead Henry, it's your family and you should enjoy it"

"It could be yours too if you wanted to" He freezes at the thought. "Well I know you have your dad and all but…"

"I don't think I would fit in" He says quickly. Henry seems disappointed. "I am the one that betrayed them, they could never"

"Hey" Henry touches his arm "You didn't do anything, your dad just did what Snow... er… my grandma did, what grandpa did, they sacrificed all they loved so, they could save you, they know it's not your fault"

"Still" August looks at them and then back at the boy "I think I should go for a walk"

"Can I come?" the innocence of the question kills him. If Emma had been old enough back then she would have asked the same thing. Maybe she did ask that question to all the foster parents that wanted her because she meant good money but nothing more.

"Stay" August smiles and gives Henry a little nudge "I will see you around okay?" Henry is left with no other option but to nod.

"What was that all about?" Emma asks as Henry is again at the table but he watches as August leaves. Emma lifts his chin "Kid?"

"Is everything okay Henry?" James asks in a concerned tone.

"Do you blame him?" is all the boy says. Emma looks at her mother and father but can't see more than confusion in their faces, she is certain she is giving a similar look to Henry. "For going with Emma?" This is a matter that Emma had told her parents before. Snow takes her husband's hand but none of them speaks- Emma doesn't think they do. They can't.

"Do you?" She asks looking into the blue eyes and green that now look at her with such love but clearly unsure of what their answer should be. Emma then stands up and they look at her still but don't move.

"Where are you going?" Henry is on his feet too and ready to go after her but she pulls him back "Emma?" And with that she is gone. She doesn't even look back twice but only to see Henry's eyes one more time.

Once she is out of Granny's all she can think of is him and how her parents. The example of good couldn't answer. But she isn't sure if she should be mad at them or not- after all- if August hadn't gone with her, her mother would have taken his place and she would have never been to suffer what she had.

**Aww well this is a story that isn't about James or Snow…. Well not entirely… there are just glances of them but all concerning August… **


	2. Chapter 2

**I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING**

**The curse has been broken but he still feels like that little boy who was left with a baby in a land without magic. He feels like a traitor and how could she ever love someone that had brought her so much pain.**

A/N: POST 1X22. ENJOY!

Before...

She hurried down the way so she wouldn't miss him. She knew where he would be. How she knew that it was beyond her reach, most like most of what had happened these past few weeks. Her finding her family and him turning back to a man who despite of all his flaws and mistakes had come for her. She knew that he felt guilty for failing her, and failing her parents for that matter, for not keeping a promise that he had made, but did they really expect a kid who was just learning to be a kid to be the guardian of a baby?

"August!" She called. She kept walking down until she found him sitting on the sidewalk outside his father's shop where he now lived. Gepetto wasnt there, he must have gone out with... Archie?. He looked up to see her walk towards him but didnt speak. She could see the shame in his eyes. She could see the sadness. She just sat there next to him. Waiting...

* * *

"We should go home" James tells Snow and Henry "Emma will be fine" He assures the boy who puts on his bag pack and follows him outside.

"Grandpa?" Henry asks him softly as they watch Snow talk to Red "I really don't think you should be mad at August... he didn't do anything..."

"Henry" James says sweetly looking down at him "There was a lot happening and that we could have prevented.. but I am not mad at him. Snow isn't mad at him... it's just... complicated... can you understand that?"

"I guess" Henry shrugs "So you should show him" James ceased at eyebrow at the boy "That you are okay with what happened.. I mean you are not okay with it, but it just makes him so sad"

"I will... talk to him... but first I have to talk to Emma about it" James concedes "Will that be okay?" Henry smiled "And we must tell Snow"

"Yeah" Henry agrees "But it's a start right?" James nodded as he pushed the door open now that Snow was coming back.

* * *

"We can sit here all day" Emma tells August after a few minutes. August looks at her.

"You have a war to fight" He says sternly "They need you, I am just in your way.. I was always in the way of you becoming who you were destined to be"

"August" Emma says slowly "Stop it okay?

"It's the truth" He smiles weakly "And I am not supposed to tell lies, so why would I? I was in the way of your parents going with you.. having a family and..."

"Well" Emma says "If you hadn't gone with me..." She laughs a bit "My mother would be older than my dad and that would be just..."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" He curves his mouth.

"And I probably wouldn't have Henry" Emma thinks sadly "Even if you had stayed with me back then, there would be no kid"

"And that would be..." August begins as an image of the little prince came to his mind "I really like that kid"

"Me too" Emma smiles "And he looks up to you"

"He does?" This is the first time he actually looks at her.

"Yep" Emma says "Says his favorite fairy tale was actually Pinocchio"

* * *

"Emma" James is sitting on the couch in the living room of the home he now shares with his family. The small apartment where Emma and Mary Margaret used to live in is not big enough but it is enough for them, Snow is there by her side.

"Can you answer me now?" She asks them hopefully crashing on the couch next to her mother "How can you blame him"

"We don't" Snow tells her "But just as much you were searching for us your whole life"

"Your mother and I looked for answers as why Geppetto would have lied" James tells her wisely "And as much as we understand his motives"

"You are still confused" Emma finished for him "Look I don't expect you to be okay with it, I mean I wouldn't be, but there you..."

"We..." James looks down at her daughter "We are parents and we would have given anything to.."

"We are not mad at Pinocchio" Snow tells her "It just hurts us to only learn the truth just now"

"And you would have let August" She remarked the name "Go with me..?" Emma asked in disbelief. Her mother looks at her with a sad smile.

"No" Snow admits "I would have not"

"So there is your answer" Emma stands up without another word and heads upstairs. Her parents just watch her pull away from them once more.

* * *

**this is tricky... what do you think? please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING**

**The curse has been broken but he still feels like that little boy who was left with a baby in a land without magic. He feels like a traitor and how could she ever love someone that had brought her so much pain.**

**A/N: POST 1X22. ENJOY!**

* * *

chapter 3:

"James" Snow watches as Emma slams the door.

"We must talk to him" James tells her giving her a gentle kiss "But a doubt he would listen to us"

"Something tells me he is too afraid of giving the first step" Snow says wisely "He was only a child when he was asked to take on such a difficult task" James turns to his wife and smile. Pain in his eyes. He feels ashamed about not giving the boy the benefct of the doubt. It seems important to Emma. "He didn't make the choice Charming, someone made it for him"

"Just like we did with Emma" James admits "She didn't chose to be the savior and yet everyone expects things from her"

"She will not be alone in this fight and we must be okay with whom she choses to have by her side" Snow stands up "We must really go to bed" o

"Subtitle change of subject" They heard Emma say from the stairs. They hadn't realized she had been listening.

"Emma.." Her father begins.

"You did the best thing you could under the circumstances" Emma tells them with a smile "And I don't blame you for that, I mean it was all Regina's doing"

"That is why it was wrong for us to misjudge Pinocchio" Snow says softly.

"August" Emma says quickly "Can we just stay on to August?" James turns to Snow and they smile.

"August it is" Snow says reaching out to hug Emma. James stays back as he understands Snow must do the mending with Emma as he is still unsure about the man in question. He doesn't doubt his right intentions. He only doubts his intentions to his daughter.

* * *

"We need to talk" James encounters August along side Snow Emma and even Henry at Granny's. He is sure Henry's presence will sooth things if they go the wrong way even if he isnt used to losing his temper.

"I am not sure about what I will have to talk about" August tells the Prince. Emma shots August a look as she knows her father is really trying.

"Please August" Henry begs the man "They want to say they are sorry"

"why would you have to be sorry?" August asks in confusion. He can see Snow and James exchange looks. James offers August a seat and he finally gives into "I failed you all"

"You were just a boy" Snow tells him "It is too much to ask a young boy to protect a little baby, no matter how good you are" August smiles sweetly at Snow. August then turns to Henry who assures him it will be fine.

"I didnt really want to go" August says bowing ashamed "I wanted to tell you the truth, Go and get you so you could..."

"You did?" Henry says looking up at his grandparents who seem startled "Then why didnt you?"

"My father" August said "He wanted to protect me from whatever danger would come with the curse, He wasnt even aware of.."

"The dangers of this world" Snow finishes and he nods. Emma is worried about her father's silence. James simply watches the man he knew as a sweet boy. Emma touches his arm and gives him an urgent look even if she understands James is really trying hard not to blame August for leaving Emma behind. "He sent you as blindly as we sent Emma, hoping you would have a better chance of surviving"

"That's all I could understand at that time, yes" August tells them. James is tensing and he clears his voice. "I made a promise I broke because I was just a scared title boy and Emma payed the price for my mistakes... She didnt know anything about where she came from and how much her family really loved her"

"Instead all her life she felt as if she wasn't important" James says barely in a whisper and August knows it wont be as easy to face him as it was to do so with the kind princess "She felt like we had just tossed her away"

"Yes" August raises his face "And not a day goes by that I dont regret that" James can feel all eyes are in him now. Emma fears for what's to come next but she waits.

"Why didnt you come back?" James asked "When you were older? You just left my baby in that horrible place and you didn't come back for her, If I hadn't been under a curse..."

"I was afraid" August said fighting back the tears as he could feel James was being harsh but trying to contain the tears as well "Emma didnt deserve after what I had done to her.."

"You were all she had" James tells him huskily "She didnt have anyone else to lean on... she was all alone and you..."

"I was drowned in my own loneliness and pain" August says "And guilt" August gives Emma a sad smile which she returns.

"But you still didn't come back" James is tying and he hopes Emma and Snow and even little Henry understand because next they know he is on his feet and shoves Snow's arm away. He hears her whisper his name but he is too hurt and he doesn't want to look back on the others. He understands but he still cant come to accept the reality of what August's actions cost Emma and he imagines his little girl in pain and all he cant think of is of resentment.

* * *

**Okay so.. Done. I just figured that since Charming had to go trough so much after he assumed his brother's identity he cant just come to terms about August just yet! **

**next chapter Charming teaches August an important life lesson by sharing his secret...**


	4. Chapter 4

**o,aI DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING**

**The curse has been broken but he still feels like that little boy who was left with a baby in a land without magic. He feels like a traitor and how could she ever love someone that had brought her so much pain.**

**A/N: POST 1X22. ENJOY!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: **

He did know how it felt. To be ripped from all you knew and then thrown in a world where you were out of your element and then there was the betrayal. Sure he had been only a child, truthfully just getting used to being a child when he was put on the impossible task of taking care of Emma but the truth was that even after running away, he knew better than to return. Keep his promise.

He had come back. It was just a little bit too late. James sat on a stool at Granny's in deep thought when someone touched his arm. Thomas smiled kindly at him. His old friend, whom he was glad to have found again after the imp had played them wrong. "A penny for them?"

"How about if you just take them all from me at once" James said frustrated as Thomas took a seat next to him "I do not know how to handle my feelings anymore" Thomas touched his shoulder softly.

"Then you must learn again" Thomas said waving towards Red who came to greet them "And make this right so that those feelings go away once more"

"I am not sure if that is something I can do" James admitted "He lied. Someone we trusted with my baby girl's life Thomas, Emma thought she wasn't wanted. That she meant nothing to me and Snow and she meant everything"

"True" Thomas leaned closer to his friend "I wouldn't know what to do if that was my case, but the one thing I can tell you is" James ceased an eyebrow. Red smiled at both of them from behind the counter and she nodded and then went out back. "You need a drink"

Red slipped two beers in their direction and smiled "On the house boys"

James chuckled softly "Why is it that I always end up like this with you?" Thomas made a hurt face and smiled "Drunk to our boots?"

"Last time we did it, it was after we had locked Rumple up" Thomas countered "I always thought next one would be at the birth of our children"

"And somehow here we are" James sipped slowly looking around to see Granny and Red whispering in the corner of the dinner.

"Looks like you boys have gone back to your old rounds" Granny beamed at them "May I remind you what happened at the Christmas Eve Ball?" James and Thomas froze and looked at each other awkwardly.

"One would think the old woman would have forgotten about that by now" Thomas whispered to his best friend.

"Granny never forgets" James chuckled at her wink. The bell of the dinner sounded off and there was August. Thomas and James turned around to watch him closely. He hadn't noticed yet.

"Are you alright boy?" Granny asked James as he sipped a bit more of his beer. James nodded slowly, still watching the former puppet. Thomas smiled to James.

"Here goes nothing" James finished his beer with one last gulp and stood up. Thomas, Red and Granny watched him closely. August saw James aprouhing and instantly froze. He was expecting the Prince to punch him, instead he grabbed him by the arm.

"Walk with me" The other people at the diner held their breaths. August was about to get all defensive but he could sense Thomas's piercing eyes on him. The two of them trailed away. Whispers were heard as soon as they left.

* * *

They kept going, August was unsure as to speak. Even though phisically he was older than Emma's dad, the mere prospect of disrespecting him was terrifying. He was the Prince and that was final, he had betrayed his trust and what was worst. Hurt Emma in the process.

"Best if we stop" James said leaning to catch his breath "We need to talk"

"I agree sir" Blue met blue and August bowed "There are no ways to tell you how I feel" James stopped him with the wave of his hand. Both of them were unaware they had reached a clearing at the forest.

"I speak and you listen" James told him softly but stenly "Your betrayal is not something I will take lightly." August nodded. "You could have made the choice oof returning to Emma and you chose not to, I do not know why and I feel afraid of even asking the questions I want to"

"I thought Prince Charming was never afraid" August said with a smile, feeling once again like a small child. "But I understand"

"I don't think you do" Charming sighed "Not even one bit" August knew he was right. He didn't really understand what it was like to lose a child but he had also been apart from his father for a long time so it was at some level something he could relate to. "That is why I will not ask them, not one."

"Then what do you want from me?" August tried to sound confident and he was sure the prince could see he had lost his cool. "You want me to leave town"

"I have thought about it" James admitted scratching his head "But that would only cause Emma a great deal of pain as I know she's fond of you, and I do not intend to hurt her"

"Touche" August said under his breath but James heard him.

"I need to make sure you will do right by my daughter" James told him warningly "Or I will hunt you down and it won't be pretty"

"Yes sir" August said respectfully.

"You have read Henry's book haven't you? In fact you changed it" James said gravely "To help Emma believe"

"I did" The former puppet said bluntly.

"What I am about to tell you" James hesitated for a moment. He was keen to teach August a lesson about life and as much as he needed to learn to trust him. Emma did and for now it was enough for him "It is not in any book" August ceased an eyebrow confused. He stood there waiting expectantly. James sat on the grass suddenly. He closed his eyes, trying to think of the way to begin opening up. "There was once a young Sheppard boy, who dreamed of true love..."

* * *

**So sorry for taking so long to update... A lot of things going on.. anyway, I kind of had more of a James and August chapter as well as Thomas and James fluff... I do believe August needs to learn a lesson about sacrifice so what best example than Prince Charming himself?**

**I hope you enjoyed it and I thank you for reading, feel free to share your thoughts... where would you like to happen next?**

**So yay! It's almost Tuesday! ONCE DVD! I will not get mine in probably a month but... Yay!**


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